Tory cheers were just a muted, half-arsed Pavlovian response as their leader failed to land a single punch on the PM

It’s becoming existential. First the Tory MPs began to wonder if there was any point to them being in Westminster. Sure, the title impresses some people and gets them one or two freebies, but those minor thrills soon start to pall as reality kicks in. Just drifting in the liminal spaces. Out of power. Out of control. And next to nothing to look forward to. They are less popular than Reform and in any case the next election is at least four years away. Days, weeks, months and years of nothingness lie ahead.

Now Conservatives are starting to have the same thoughts about Kemi Badenoch. At first they believed she was an exciting breath of fresh air. Someone ready to get stuck into any culture war.